ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with areas of practice where clinical psychology interconnects with the Law. There are many facets of the law and legal processes where clinical psychologists can be of immense use but clinical psychologists are not the only psychologists interested in this topic. Biopsychologists, for example, may take an interest in explaining violence, or social psychologists could contribute to the study of jury selection processes. Therefore, this chapter describes the field at large and attempts to clarify where and how clinical psychologists can fit into and contribute to this domain. The learning objectives of this chapter are:
An understanding of what forensic psychology is and its uniqueness in the field of clinical psychology.
An appreciation for the breadth of the roles that forensic psychologists can be involved in.
An understanding of the specific tasks that can be a part of the forensic psychologist’s research and clinical work.
Be introduced to issues within the field such as lie detection and the usefulness of this assessment tool.
